Forward march
Behind Martin and Jefferson, Nets eye return trip to Finals
Posted: Friday May 23, 2003 7:58 PM
One is a menacing power forward who plays with a chip on his shoulder. The other is an athletic leaper who’s not afraid to say what he thinks. Together, Nets forwards Kenyon Martin and Richard Jefferson, respectively, have become a major story in these NBA playoffs.
Jason Kidd might be the best player on the court, but Martin and Jefferson have blossomed into bona fide stars for New Jersey, which owns a 3-0 lead over the Pistons heading into Saturday’s Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Martin, the former No. 1 overall pick from Cincinnati, is averaging 21 points and nine rebounds in the playoffs. Jefferson, a former No. 13 pick from Arizona, is contributing 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds. More vitally, they have joined Kidd in giving the Nets toughness few other teams can match.
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Detroit Pistons at New Jersey Nets
Saturday, 8:00 p.m. ET
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| Series Snapshot |
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| Game 1 |
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74 |
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76 |
| Game 2 |
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86 |
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88 |
| Game 2 |
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85 |
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97 |
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The past ...
Kidd had a playoff career-high 34 points to go with 12 rebounds, six assists and four steals as the Nets raced to a 97-85 win in Game 3. It was New Jersey’s ninth straight playoff victory. Martin scored 14 of his 19 points in the first quarter as New Jersey built a 28-23 lead and never looked back. Unlike the first two games in Detroit, the Nets were able to play their style more in Game 3, enjoying a 32-4 edge in fast-break points. Richard Hamilton led Detroit with 21 points but managed just six in the second half. For the second straight game the Pistons were killed on the boards, with the Nets outrebounding them 50-39.
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Jason Kidd
AP |
The present ...
No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in the playoffs, but the Pistons did rally from 3-1 down to beat the Magic in the first round. Still, Detroit knows it’s facing an almost impossible task. Coach Rick Carlisle has tried everything to jump-start his sputtering offense, but so far nothing has worked. Look for him to go back to Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince, both of whom were benched for much of the fourth quarter in Game 3, in hopes they can rediscover their missing scoring touch. The Nets, meanwhile, know they have Detroit on the ropes and say they intend to deliver the knockout here.
The future ... For the Nets, it’s a second straight trip to the NBA Finals. For the Pistons, it’s Darko Milicic. Unless New Jersey gets caught looking ahead to the Spurs or Mavs, fans in the Meadowlands (if there are any) can get out the brooms.
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